Christopher Plummer will be at the Indigo on Bay and Bloor in Toronto this Sunday, October 26, to promote his memoir In Spite of Myself. The event, which includes an interview, question-and-answer session, and book signing, begins at 3PM. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Christopher Plummer can be seen in Caesar and Cleopatra at the Festival Theatre until November 8.
Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Friends Make Tributes to Monette
As previously announced, a tribute to longstanding Festival Artistic Director Richard Monette will be held on Monday, October 20, at 7 PM.
In a press release today, the Festival announced that Brian Bedford, Brent Carver, Dan Chameroy, Antoni Cimolino, Cynthia Dale, Colm Feore, Martha Henry, William Needles, Lucy Peacock, and Michael Therriault will be among those to make individual tributes to their late friend.
Reservations for the evening may be made by calling 1-800-567-1600.
In a press release today, the Festival announced that Brian Bedford, Brent Carver, Dan Chameroy, Antoni Cimolino, Cynthia Dale, Colm Feore, Martha Henry, William Needles, Lucy Peacock, and Michael Therriault will be among those to make individual tributes to their late friend.
Reservations for the evening may be made by calling 1-800-567-1600.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Christopher Plummer Reading
Christopher Plummer will read Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on Saturday, August 23 at 11am. Tickets are available here.
Read more about the special at the Globe and Mail:
"The man who originally recorded the tales of Jacob Two-Two will crack the spine of Mordecai Richler's famous debut children's book for the first time in two decades next Saturday, as Christopher Plummer gives his first-ever live reading of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on a Stratford stage.
"The Canadian veteran of stage and film, who recorded the first two instalments of Richler's trilogy for the CBC in the 1980s, will read an abridged version of the first book to raise funds to send underprivileged youth to Stratford.
"The reading will also serve as a reunion for the actor and Richler's widow, Florence, a friend and admirer of Plummer since their youth in Montreal. 'I met Florence when she was married to Stanley Mann, the writer, way back when she was the most beautiful model that Montreal had - but she was always very bright and clever, she had a terrific brain,' says Plummer, adding that he and Mordecai were also fond friends.
"Plummer is at Stratford first and foremost to play the lead role in the Des McAnuff production of Caesar and Cleopatra, which opens tomorrow, and is heading into a nearly sold-out run that ends Nov. 8. Last fall, Don Shipley, part of the now-defunct leadership triumvirate under Antoni Cimolino, proposed the reading. Plummer, thinking it 'a rather nice thing to do,' chose the charity, and agreed to participate pro bono.
"Plummer fondly recalls recording readings of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and its sequel, Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur, in the 1980s, and recently dug up an old recording. 'I'm going to play it, just to see how I did, before I do the reading,' says Plummer. 'I do voices for most of them, and God knows what accents I use, but anything to be different from the narrative.'
"The Jacob Two-Two series was born 'by accident' of a charmingly simple paternal act. Florence recounts that she had her hands full with the couple's other children before hosting dinner guests one evening, and deposited Jacob, then about 5, on Mordecai's chest as he reclined on the sofa reading the paper. She asked Mordecai to tell their son a story. 'And while I was leaving the living room, I heard Mordecai say, "Well, there was once ..." and he went on to call this character, this little chap, Jacob Two-Two. I swear to you, it was spontaneous and wonderful.'
"She lingered, listening at the living-room door, and later urged Mordecai to write it down. He 'looked a little puzzled,' and said nothing more about it for some time. One night, she recalls, 'After dinner, he said, "When you have time, would you read this?" and that was the first Jacob Two-Two.'
"Jacob, now a journalist and in his late 30s, says he is eager to take his own children, age 8 and 10, to Plummer's reading, adding that when he was a child he 'was too young to know how unusual and special and exceptional it was to have your dad write a children's story more or less about you.'
"Florence says Jacob's siblings never seemed thrilled at their imaginative portrayals: Jacob, for example, never had his fictional alter ego's trademark habit of saying everything twice; and Florence notes that 'this was not a boisterous family by any means,' in contrast to the books' rollicking quintet.
"Says Plummer: 'I think it's irresistible. It's just a bunch of extraordinarily unattractive [characters] all thrown into one delicious little book picking fun at youth and old age and everything.'
"Having surpassed a three-quarters capacity audience in the 1,072-seat Avon Theatre two weeks in advance of the show's opening, with little advertising, the reading demonstrates the enduring appeal of the series for children and adults alike. 'The shock of this so-called difficult personality, Mordecai Richler, writing something as amusing and tender as a children's book, that in itself was most appealing,' says Florence.
"Plummer, meanwhile, hopes events such as this one can help keep the late author at the forefront of Canadian consciousness. 'I don't know who has replaced him in Canada,' says the actor. 'I don't think anyone yet. This country, more and more, needs to be able to laugh at itself. Particularly in these humourless times, we need Mordecai desperately. He's wonderfully naughty and disrespectful. He's just a great satirist.'"
Read more about the special at the Globe and Mail:
"The man who originally recorded the tales of Jacob Two-Two will crack the spine of Mordecai Richler's famous debut children's book for the first time in two decades next Saturday, as Christopher Plummer gives his first-ever live reading of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on a Stratford stage.
"The Canadian veteran of stage and film, who recorded the first two instalments of Richler's trilogy for the CBC in the 1980s, will read an abridged version of the first book to raise funds to send underprivileged youth to Stratford.
"The reading will also serve as a reunion for the actor and Richler's widow, Florence, a friend and admirer of Plummer since their youth in Montreal. 'I met Florence when she was married to Stanley Mann, the writer, way back when she was the most beautiful model that Montreal had - but she was always very bright and clever, she had a terrific brain,' says Plummer, adding that he and Mordecai were also fond friends.
"Plummer is at Stratford first and foremost to play the lead role in the Des McAnuff production of Caesar and Cleopatra, which opens tomorrow, and is heading into a nearly sold-out run that ends Nov. 8. Last fall, Don Shipley, part of the now-defunct leadership triumvirate under Antoni Cimolino, proposed the reading. Plummer, thinking it 'a rather nice thing to do,' chose the charity, and agreed to participate pro bono.
"Plummer fondly recalls recording readings of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and its sequel, Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur, in the 1980s, and recently dug up an old recording. 'I'm going to play it, just to see how I did, before I do the reading,' says Plummer. 'I do voices for most of them, and God knows what accents I use, but anything to be different from the narrative.'
"The Jacob Two-Two series was born 'by accident' of a charmingly simple paternal act. Florence recounts that she had her hands full with the couple's other children before hosting dinner guests one evening, and deposited Jacob, then about 5, on Mordecai's chest as he reclined on the sofa reading the paper. She asked Mordecai to tell their son a story. 'And while I was leaving the living room, I heard Mordecai say, "Well, there was once ..." and he went on to call this character, this little chap, Jacob Two-Two. I swear to you, it was spontaneous and wonderful.'
"She lingered, listening at the living-room door, and later urged Mordecai to write it down. He 'looked a little puzzled,' and said nothing more about it for some time. One night, she recalls, 'After dinner, he said, "When you have time, would you read this?" and that was the first Jacob Two-Two.'
"Jacob, now a journalist and in his late 30s, says he is eager to take his own children, age 8 and 10, to Plummer's reading, adding that when he was a child he 'was too young to know how unusual and special and exceptional it was to have your dad write a children's story more or less about you.'
"Florence says Jacob's siblings never seemed thrilled at their imaginative portrayals: Jacob, for example, never had his fictional alter ego's trademark habit of saying everything twice; and Florence notes that 'this was not a boisterous family by any means,' in contrast to the books' rollicking quintet.
"Says Plummer: 'I think it's irresistible. It's just a bunch of extraordinarily unattractive [characters] all thrown into one delicious little book picking fun at youth and old age and everything.'
"Having surpassed a three-quarters capacity audience in the 1,072-seat Avon Theatre two weeks in advance of the show's opening, with little advertising, the reading demonstrates the enduring appeal of the series for children and adults alike. 'The shock of this so-called difficult personality, Mordecai Richler, writing something as amusing and tender as a children's book, that in itself was most appealing,' says Florence.
"Plummer, meanwhile, hopes events such as this one can help keep the late author at the forefront of Canadian consciousness. 'I don't know who has replaced him in Canada,' says the actor. 'I don't think anyone yet. This country, more and more, needs to be able to laugh at itself. Particularly in these humourless times, we need Mordecai desperately. He's wonderfully naughty and disrespectful. He's just a great satirist.'"
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Public Invited to Directors Summit Tonight
"Re-invigorating and re-imagining the classics" is the theme at the directors summit taking place in Stratford July 31 to August 16.
The public is invited to attend two events:
Thursday, July 31 -- A panel discussion between Joanne Akalaitis (co-founder of Mabou Mines) and Carey Perloff (artistic director of the American Conservatory Theatre) to be moderated by Festival General Manager Antoni Cimolino. 6-7:30PM at the Studio Theatre.
Saturday, August 9 -- Harvard professor Marjorie Garber will lecture on "Profiling Shakespeare". 10AM at the Studio Theatre.
Tickets for both events can be reserved through the box office: 1-800-567-1600.
For more information about the summit, read the press release.
The public is invited to attend two events:
Thursday, July 31 -- A panel discussion between Joanne Akalaitis (co-founder of Mabou Mines) and Carey Perloff (artistic director of the American Conservatory Theatre) to be moderated by Festival General Manager Antoni Cimolino. 6-7:30PM at the Studio Theatre.
Saturday, August 9 -- Harvard professor Marjorie Garber will lecture on "Profiling Shakespeare". 10AM at the Studio Theatre.
Tickets for both events can be reserved through the box office: 1-800-567-1600.
For more information about the summit, read the press release.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
A Smattering of Reviews
Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor airs Sunday at 9pm on CBC. Check out what the critics are saying:
"The classic story of Othello is followed to a tee and traditionalists will not be disappointed. Yet the scenes are sharp and fast-moving — enough to enchant the unfamiliar. And even though the lines follow an old-school delivery, it isn’t hard to follow along once you decipher the 'thous' and 'thines.'
"Delivering a brilliant performance as the title character, Rota also executive-produced the project, which is his first-ever experience with Shakespeare.
"'I thought it was just such a huge bloody mountain to climb. I was going to leave it to people who knew better about it,'” he muses. 'Look at me — I’m in my late 40s and I’ve just done some Shakespeare.'
"Six months ago, Rota would have written Shakespeare off as 'mental.' Now, when asked if he would ever consider doing the real thing — act in a Shakespearian play — he says he would jump at the chance.
"It is hard to imagine the scheming-yet-lovable Yasir on Little Mosque or the elusive Morris O’Brian on 24 taking up the ominous role of Othello. But Rota’s deep, soothing voice and heart-wrenching scenes will leave you sympathetic and angry, not to mention mesmerized.
"Even more brilliant is Deslippe’s performance as the power-driven Iago, who will stop at nothing to wreak revenge on the unsuspecting Cassio for his recent promotion by the Moor. The perfect villain, Deslippe plays with the viewer’s emotions; he delivers soliloquies to the camera that invoke sympathy and then toys with the others’ fates with such chilling detachment that before you’re aware, you have a boiling bubble of hate in the pit of your stomach.
"Topping off the stellar trio is Horne and her performance as the love-driven Desdemona. Horne plays the part with interlaced innocence and charm, but the real enchantment is the conviction in her eyes — something a restricted theatrical version would never let the viewer experience.
"'We’ve made what I hope people view as a very healthy hybrid of stage and TV,' Rota explains. 'It’s a return for the CBC to a mandate that they haven’t really pursued in the last little while. I’m hoping that we’ll get a strong audience because it’s the perfect thing for this network.'"
-- Amber Dowling, TV Guide
"Rota usually projects a humorous self-awareness that should be all wrong for Othello, but turns out to be all right. He establishes authority without effort ('put up your bright swords') and seems very sure both of himself and of his love.
"Iago has to work very hard to crack that shell; some clever adaptation (by Matthew Edison and director Zaib Shaikh) makes it seem a longer, more varied and gradual process than it is in the theatre. The temptation takes place over a buffet-lunch; when the dam is burst, Othello finds an outlet in hacking away at a joint of meat.
"A terrible logic, unfounded but unstoppable, takes over the two scenes in which he abuses his wife as a whore. His last speech is left intact; in fact we hear it twice, at beginning and end. (The play is a flashback.) And with it we reach greatness. Rota lays out the facts of the case calmly, sanely, tormentedly; it seems he'll go quietly. And when he whips out his knife and kills himself, it's total shock. It's a long time since I've seen an Othello, on stage or screen, as good as this."
"The cast includes a posse of Stratford Festival veterans -- Graham Abbey, Peter Donaldson, Jonathan Goad-- who can colour and personalize the verse at any volume; Abbey is the best Cassio I have ever seen."
-- Robert Cushman, National Post
"'I wanted a challenge, and man, did I get one,' says Rota, who is best known for roles in the TV series La Femme Nikita, the superspy drama 24, and Little Mosque.
"'I plunged myself into Othello with great abandon,' he continues. 'The first day on set, I was going on about how the text was so wonderful, how it holds your emotions . . . and Peter Donaldson [a Stratford Shakespeare Festival veteran who plays Brabantio] was looking at me like, 'welcome to the party, pal - we've been here for years.'
"'I was nervous, to tell you the truth,' Rota adds, who got into acting relatively late in life, at age 30. "As an actor, you have an imposter syndrome at the best of times.'"
"Aurora, Ont.-born Christine Horne (The Stone Angel) plays Desdemona. Several Stratford Festival alumni are cast, including Deslippe (who plays Iago), Donaldson, Graham Abbey (Cassio) and Nazneen Contractor (Bianca).
"The writers also did not contemporize the language, remaining true to Shakespeare's words. Rota says he learned to speak Shakespearean English by listening to CDs in his car on a five-day road trip to Toronto from his home in Los Angeles.
"'We started rehearsals in the middle of January and when I started to mouth the words I thought I was doing a god-awful job,' Rota says. 'But with the help of fabulous actors like Contractor, I learned to make the words mine. That took a bit of doing since I have no formal training in it. But in the end, I took my own course.'"
-- Gayle MacDonald, The Globe and Mail
"The classic story of Othello is followed to a tee and traditionalists will not be disappointed. Yet the scenes are sharp and fast-moving — enough to enchant the unfamiliar. And even though the lines follow an old-school delivery, it isn’t hard to follow along once you decipher the 'thous' and 'thines.'
"Delivering a brilliant performance as the title character, Rota also executive-produced the project, which is his first-ever experience with Shakespeare.
"'I thought it was just such a huge bloody mountain to climb. I was going to leave it to people who knew better about it,'” he muses. 'Look at me — I’m in my late 40s and I’ve just done some Shakespeare.'
"Six months ago, Rota would have written Shakespeare off as 'mental.' Now, when asked if he would ever consider doing the real thing — act in a Shakespearian play — he says he would jump at the chance.
"It is hard to imagine the scheming-yet-lovable Yasir on Little Mosque or the elusive Morris O’Brian on 24 taking up the ominous role of Othello. But Rota’s deep, soothing voice and heart-wrenching scenes will leave you sympathetic and angry, not to mention mesmerized.
"Even more brilliant is Deslippe’s performance as the power-driven Iago, who will stop at nothing to wreak revenge on the unsuspecting Cassio for his recent promotion by the Moor. The perfect villain, Deslippe plays with the viewer’s emotions; he delivers soliloquies to the camera that invoke sympathy and then toys with the others’ fates with such chilling detachment that before you’re aware, you have a boiling bubble of hate in the pit of your stomach.
"Topping off the stellar trio is Horne and her performance as the love-driven Desdemona. Horne plays the part with interlaced innocence and charm, but the real enchantment is the conviction in her eyes — something a restricted theatrical version would never let the viewer experience.
"'We’ve made what I hope people view as a very healthy hybrid of stage and TV,' Rota explains. 'It’s a return for the CBC to a mandate that they haven’t really pursued in the last little while. I’m hoping that we’ll get a strong audience because it’s the perfect thing for this network.'"
-- Amber Dowling, TV Guide
"Rota usually projects a humorous self-awareness that should be all wrong for Othello, but turns out to be all right. He establishes authority without effort ('put up your bright swords') and seems very sure both of himself and of his love.
"Iago has to work very hard to crack that shell; some clever adaptation (by Matthew Edison and director Zaib Shaikh) makes it seem a longer, more varied and gradual process than it is in the theatre. The temptation takes place over a buffet-lunch; when the dam is burst, Othello finds an outlet in hacking away at a joint of meat.
"A terrible logic, unfounded but unstoppable, takes over the two scenes in which he abuses his wife as a whore. His last speech is left intact; in fact we hear it twice, at beginning and end. (The play is a flashback.) And with it we reach greatness. Rota lays out the facts of the case calmly, sanely, tormentedly; it seems he'll go quietly. And when he whips out his knife and kills himself, it's total shock. It's a long time since I've seen an Othello, on stage or screen, as good as this."
"The cast includes a posse of Stratford Festival veterans -- Graham Abbey, Peter Donaldson, Jonathan Goad-- who can colour and personalize the verse at any volume; Abbey is the best Cassio I have ever seen."
-- Robert Cushman, National Post
"'I wanted a challenge, and man, did I get one,' says Rota, who is best known for roles in the TV series La Femme Nikita, the superspy drama 24, and Little Mosque.
"'I plunged myself into Othello with great abandon,' he continues. 'The first day on set, I was going on about how the text was so wonderful, how it holds your emotions . . . and Peter Donaldson [a Stratford Shakespeare Festival veteran who plays Brabantio] was looking at me like, 'welcome to the party, pal - we've been here for years.'
"'I was nervous, to tell you the truth,' Rota adds, who got into acting relatively late in life, at age 30. "As an actor, you have an imposter syndrome at the best of times.'"
"Aurora, Ont.-born Christine Horne (The Stone Angel) plays Desdemona. Several Stratford Festival alumni are cast, including Deslippe (who plays Iago), Donaldson, Graham Abbey (Cassio) and Nazneen Contractor (Bianca).
"The writers also did not contemporize the language, remaining true to Shakespeare's words. Rota says he learned to speak Shakespearean English by listening to CDs in his car on a five-day road trip to Toronto from his home in Los Angeles.
"'We started rehearsals in the middle of January and when I started to mouth the words I thought I was doing a god-awful job,' Rota says. 'But with the help of fabulous actors like Contractor, I learned to make the words mine. That took a bit of doing since I have no formal training in it. But in the end, I took my own course.'"
-- Gayle MacDonald, The Globe and Mail
Friday, June 13, 2008
Othello on CBC Radio Tonight
Zaib Shaik's Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor will be broadcast on CBC Radio One tonight at 7:30pm.
The made-for-television adaptation stars Stratford Shakespeare Festival veterans Graham Abbey, Emma Campbell, Nazneen Contractor, Jonathan Goad, and Peter Donaldson.
It will premiere on CBC Television at 9pm Sunday.
The made-for-television adaptation stars Stratford Shakespeare Festival veterans Graham Abbey, Emma Campbell, Nazneen Contractor, Jonathan Goad, and Peter Donaldson.
It will premiere on CBC Television at 9pm Sunday.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Stratford Stars in Othello Sunday
Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor premieres on CBC Television this Sunday, June 15, at 9pm. It will also be broadcast on CBC Radio One this Friday, June 13, at 7:30pm.
Director Zaib Shaik co-wrote the script with Matthew Edison.
The cast includes:
GRAHAM ABBEY -- Cassio
EMMA CAMPBELL -- Emilia
NAZNEEN CONTRACTOR -- Bianca
MATTHEW DESLIPPE -- Iago
PETER DONALDSON -- Brabantio
JOHN GILBERT -- Duke
JONATHAN GOAD -- Montano
RYAN HOLLYMAN -- Roderigo
CHRISTINE HORNE -- Desdemona
CARLO ROTA -- Othello
It will, of course, be difficult to stand Jonathan Goad playing a third-string character after seeing his Iago last season, but we'll watch it nonetheless. And then go see The Music Man.
Director Zaib Shaik co-wrote the script with Matthew Edison.
The cast includes:
GRAHAM ABBEY -- Cassio
EMMA CAMPBELL -- Emilia
NAZNEEN CONTRACTOR -- Bianca
MATTHEW DESLIPPE -- Iago
PETER DONALDSON -- Brabantio
JOHN GILBERT -- Duke
JONATHAN GOAD -- Montano
RYAN HOLLYMAN -- Roderigo
CHRISTINE HORNE -- Desdemona
CARLO ROTA -- Othello
It will, of course, be difficult to stand Jonathan Goad playing a third-string character after seeing his Iago last season, but we'll watch it nonetheless. And then go see The Music Man.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Slings & Arrows Travels to Brazil
Rhombus Media producer Niv Fichman has sold adaptive rights for Slings & Arrows to Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles (City of God), writes Gayle MacDonald for the Globe and Mail.
Fichman had been trying to convince Meirelles to collaborate on the adaptation of Jose Saramago's Blindness when he sent him the first season of the cult hit.
Meirelles promptly asked for the next two.
"'When he called, he asked me if I thought [this deal] would be possible? If it would be very expensive [for him to buy the rights]?" says Fichman, laughing, whose Toronto company has produced features films such as The Red Violin and the Emmy-winning Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach. 'I said, Fernando, I can tell you one thing. Money is not going to be the issue here.'
"Fichman's Canadian cast - including big names such as William Hutt, Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Rachel McAdams, Don McKellar, Susan Coyne and Bob Martin - all worked for scale on the production.
"'I'm not going to make any money in Brazil doing this,' concurs Meirelles, an observation that prompts Fichman to quip: 'You can say that none of us are getting rich off this. But it's such a wonderful thing, and such a natural way, for us to continue our collaboration.'
"Blindness is expected to hit theatres in Brazil in mid-September and in North America Oct. 13. The Brazilian version of Slings & Arrows will start shooting in early July, and Meirelles expects TV Globo to air the miniseries in November.
"When Slings & Arrows was conceived, even its creators and writers - actor-playwright Coyne, Kids in the Hall alumnus Mark McKinney and Martin, co-author of the current Broadway hit The Drowsy Chaperone - did not expect it would have a very broad audience. After all, it got off to a rocky start - green-lit by the CBC and then dropped before ever being produced, the drama finally found a home with TMN and Movie Central. Showcase also later found a berth for the fledgling show, which eventually was picked up in the United States on the Sundance Channel, where it earned Entertainment Weekly's vote as the year's best TV import.
"In Canada, it picked up numerous Gemini awards during its three seasons. In the U.S., it was favourably received by television critics at The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and The New York Times, which dubbed it 'absolutely addictive.'"
"Meirelles translated the script into Portuguese. He has had to cut about 10 minutes from each episode 'because our [broadcast] time slots are shorter.' He also tinkered a bit with some characters, taking into account obvious cultural differences.
"He said he hopes Slings & Arrows will 'bring some fresh air to Brazilian television.'"
It certainly did to ours.
Fichman had been trying to convince Meirelles to collaborate on the adaptation of Jose Saramago's Blindness when he sent him the first season of the cult hit.
Meirelles promptly asked for the next two.
"'When he called, he asked me if I thought [this deal] would be possible? If it would be very expensive [for him to buy the rights]?" says Fichman, laughing, whose Toronto company has produced features films such as The Red Violin and the Emmy-winning Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach. 'I said, Fernando, I can tell you one thing. Money is not going to be the issue here.'
"Fichman's Canadian cast - including big names such as William Hutt, Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Rachel McAdams, Don McKellar, Susan Coyne and Bob Martin - all worked for scale on the production.
"'I'm not going to make any money in Brazil doing this,' concurs Meirelles, an observation that prompts Fichman to quip: 'You can say that none of us are getting rich off this. But it's such a wonderful thing, and such a natural way, for us to continue our collaboration.'
"Blindness is expected to hit theatres in Brazil in mid-September and in North America Oct. 13. The Brazilian version of Slings & Arrows will start shooting in early July, and Meirelles expects TV Globo to air the miniseries in November.
"When Slings & Arrows was conceived, even its creators and writers - actor-playwright Coyne, Kids in the Hall alumnus Mark McKinney and Martin, co-author of the current Broadway hit The Drowsy Chaperone - did not expect it would have a very broad audience. After all, it got off to a rocky start - green-lit by the CBC and then dropped before ever being produced, the drama finally found a home with TMN and Movie Central. Showcase also later found a berth for the fledgling show, which eventually was picked up in the United States on the Sundance Channel, where it earned Entertainment Weekly's vote as the year's best TV import.
"In Canada, it picked up numerous Gemini awards during its three seasons. In the U.S., it was favourably received by television critics at The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and The New York Times, which dubbed it 'absolutely addictive.'"
"Meirelles translated the script into Portuguese. He has had to cut about 10 minutes from each episode 'because our [broadcast] time slots are shorter.' He also tinkered a bit with some characters, taking into account obvious cultural differences.
"He said he hopes Slings & Arrows will 'bring some fresh air to Brazilian television.'"
It certainly did to ours.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
$20 Theatre TiXX
More details have been announced about the $20 tickets being made available this year in the Festival Theatre.
TiXX will be available through the Stratford Shakespeare Festival website and shakespearetixx.com – and no place else.
All tickets will be designated through a lottery system, which means that you don’t know whether you’ll be sitting in section A, B, or C, until you’ve paid.
But for $20, you can’t go wrong.
You can see all five Festival Theatre shows – Romeo and Juliet (2008), Hamlet (2008), The Taming of the Shrew (2008), All’s Well That Ends Well (2008), and Caesar and Cleopatra (2008) – for the price of an A+ seat to a single performance.
TiXX will be sold in three blocks, starting on March 1, June 1, and August 1, respectively. At least 60 seats in each performance have been designated for the program.
TiXX will be available through the Stratford Shakespeare Festival website and shakespearetixx.com – and no place else.
All tickets will be designated through a lottery system, which means that you don’t know whether you’ll be sitting in section A, B, or C, until you’ve paid.
But for $20, you can’t go wrong.
You can see all five Festival Theatre shows – Romeo and Juliet (2008), Hamlet (2008), The Taming of the Shrew (2008), All’s Well That Ends Well (2008), and Caesar and Cleopatra (2008) – for the price of an A+ seat to a single performance.
TiXX will be sold in three blocks, starting on March 1, June 1, and August 1, respectively. At least 60 seats in each performance have been designated for the program.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Renovations Under Way at the Discovery Centre
From Tori Sutton at the Stratford Gazette:
"Apprentices from the Ontario Masonry Training Centre have been hard at work since the start of January, putting a new limestone facade on the north wall and repointing brick on the east wall. Old fire exit doors on the north wall are also being replaced with windows.
"Discovery Centre board vice president and chair of property Andy Werner said the project will establish the north wall as the focal point of the building and its main entrance. 'This is to reorient the building toward the Festival,' he said, adding it made sense because the majority of pedestrian traffic is on that side of the building. 'Once we get this done, it will be the dramatic entrance to the building.'
"Two years ago, the fire escape was removed from the north wall and last year, new entrance doors were installed. The most recent work should be wrapped up in March, in time for the tourist season and the opening of the Festival’s Theatre Store, which will now be located on the first level of the Discovery Centre.
"The improvements will keep with the character of the building, said Werner. Marklevitz Architects have helped in planning the project, while Owen Sound Ledgerock Inc. donated $110,000 worth of limestone. Superior Propane has donated the propane to heat the enclosure in which the apprentices work. While the work is of obvious benefit to the building and the city, the apprentices also benefit from working on the historic project.
"'They need something to apply the teaching of these young apprentices so it gives them a spot to do that,' he said. 'One of the things they want to do is train masons so they realize what they have to do to work year round.'"
On Stratford Stage anticipates that the new Discovery Centre will be featured in one of the Wednesday Webcasts, as announced earlier today.
"Apprentices from the Ontario Masonry Training Centre have been hard at work since the start of January, putting a new limestone facade on the north wall and repointing brick on the east wall. Old fire exit doors on the north wall are also being replaced with windows.
"Discovery Centre board vice president and chair of property Andy Werner said the project will establish the north wall as the focal point of the building and its main entrance. 'This is to reorient the building toward the Festival,' he said, adding it made sense because the majority of pedestrian traffic is on that side of the building. 'Once we get this done, it will be the dramatic entrance to the building.'
"Two years ago, the fire escape was removed from the north wall and last year, new entrance doors were installed. The most recent work should be wrapped up in March, in time for the tourist season and the opening of the Festival’s Theatre Store, which will now be located on the first level of the Discovery Centre.
"The improvements will keep with the character of the building, said Werner. Marklevitz Architects have helped in planning the project, while Owen Sound Ledgerock Inc. donated $110,000 worth of limestone. Superior Propane has donated the propane to heat the enclosure in which the apprentices work. While the work is of obvious benefit to the building and the city, the apprentices also benefit from working on the historic project.
"'They need something to apply the teaching of these young apprentices so it gives them a spot to do that,' he said. 'One of the things they want to do is train masons so they realize what they have to do to work year round.'"
On Stratford Stage anticipates that the new Discovery Centre will be featured in one of the Wednesday Webcasts, as announced earlier today.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Are You Next?
Canadian performers between the ages of 16 and 26 are invited to show off their singing, dancing, and acting talents at open call auditions for the unannounced second season of CBC's Triple Sensation.
After two initial rounds, contenders for the $150,000 scholarship for the performing arts will find themselves in front of the Marquee Panel.
If that sounds intimidating, it probably is.
On the Marquee Panel sit five well-known award-winning threats:
-- Actor CYNTHIA DALE, who has starred in such Stratford productions as My Fair Lady (2002) and South Pacific (2006), but will not be returning this season;
-- Producer GARTH DRABINSKY, who also created the show;
-- Composer MARVIN HAMLISCH, who, at age seven, was the youngest ever admitted to the Julliard School of Music;
-- Director ADRIAN NOBLE, who will be helming this season's production of Hamlet (2008) at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival;
-- Choreographer SERGIO TRUJILLO, whose credits at include West Side Story (1999, Stratford) , The Sound of Music (2001, Stratford), and Jersey Boys (2005, Broadway). Jersey Boys (2007, tour) was directed by Des McAnuff, one of three artistic directors at the Festival, and will be coming to Toronto audiences August 21, 2008, courtesy of Dancap Productions.
Last year, the the panel selected 17 year-old John-Michael Scapin as the winner of the scholarship, which allows him to attend any theatrical training institute in the world.
This year, it could be you. Look here for dates and details.
After two initial rounds, contenders for the $150,000 scholarship for the performing arts will find themselves in front of the Marquee Panel.
If that sounds intimidating, it probably is.
On the Marquee Panel sit five well-known award-winning threats:
-- Actor CYNTHIA DALE, who has starred in such Stratford productions as My Fair Lady (2002) and South Pacific (2006), but will not be returning this season;
-- Producer GARTH DRABINSKY, who also created the show;
-- Composer MARVIN HAMLISCH, who, at age seven, was the youngest ever admitted to the Julliard School of Music;
-- Director ADRIAN NOBLE, who will be helming this season's production of Hamlet (2008) at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival;
-- Choreographer SERGIO TRUJILLO, whose credits at include West Side Story (1999, Stratford) , The Sound of Music (2001, Stratford), and Jersey Boys (2005, Broadway). Jersey Boys (2007, tour) was directed by Des McAnuff, one of three artistic directors at the Festival, and will be coming to Toronto audiences August 21, 2008, courtesy of Dancap Productions.
Last year, the the panel selected 17 year-old John-Michael Scapin as the winner of the scholarship, which allows him to attend any theatrical training institute in the world.
This year, it could be you. Look here for dates and details.
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